Automatic fender.



G. L. WHEELER. AUTOMATIG FENDER.

AIPLIGATION FILED I'EB.20, 1911.

Patented July 18, 1911.

wzge 7266A? GEORGE L. WHEELER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented uly 1911. I

Application filed February 20, 1911. Serial No. 609,599.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncr. L. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have. invented cer- 5 tain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Fenders, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in automobile fenders, and the obj ect of my invention is to construct a simple, durable, neat and automatic fender which maybe readily applied to an ordinary automobile and which is poised to carry in a condition to operate and arranged so that after it isonce operated the fender will automatically assume its original position.

With the above purposes in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which-.-

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my invention as applied to an ordinary automobile; and Fig. 2 is a detail, fragmental view illustrating a portion of the connection between the fender proper and the auxiliary fender.

Referring by numerals to the accompanymng drawings: 1 designates a rod which supports the entire fender. This rod, as shown, is preferably carried by the forward ends of the automobile springs.

2-2 designate rods which constitute the side members of the frame of the fender proper, each of which is providedwith a bearing through which the rod 1 1s inserted so that the rods 2 may rock.

3 designates the forward frame member of the fender proper, and 4 the rear frame member of the fender proper which is preferably enlarged andcushioned and possessed of suflicient weight .to balance the forward end of the fender proper and its attachments. The fender proper is normally polsed so that its forward end willride clear of the road-Way.

5 designates a sheet of flexlble material such as heavy canvas which covers the entire frame of thefender proper and whlch is designed to support and carry-an vobject or 'person struck y the fender. Pro ecting forwardly from andsupported by the of the fender.

side members 2 of the frame proper are rods 6, which 1ncline forwardly and upwardly and aremaintained in said positions bythe supportlng rods 7, which connect the rods 6 with the side members 2 of the main frame Pivoted to the forward ends of the rods 6 are the rigid frame members 7 of the auxiliary fender, the forward faces of these members being cushioned and the members 7 being connected with a sheet 8 of flexible material, such as heavy canvas. In the forward end of each of the rods 6 there is an eye 9 and connecting said eyes with the rigid members 7 of the auxiliary fender are the staples 10 which are located above the vertical centers of the rigid members 7 so that the auxiliaryfender is normally carried in a vertical position.

Assuming-an automobile to be equipped with my improved fender, and a person struck by the forward or auxiliary fender,

it is obvious that, by reason of the pivotal mounting of the auxiliary fender, it may be tilted rearwardly so that it will be not necessary for the body of the person struck to be tilted or fulcrumed over the top of the fender, but be easily swung into the main fender. It will furthermore be obvious that at the time the person is struck the weight of the persons body will throw the entire fender downwardly toward the road-way so as to preclude the possibility of the persons body getting underneath the fender.

By reason of the weight, of the member 4 of the fender proper, which is in excess of that portion of the complete fender in advance of the pivotal point, there is a preponderance of weight to the rear of the pivotal point which will automatically cause the fender to again assume its normal operative position after it has been operated.

I claim I 1. In an automobile fender, a fender proper-comprising a frame pivotally mounted to a suitable support in advance of the the automobile body, rigid front and rear having e preponderance of weight to the members connecting the side rods and a rear of its pivotal point. flexible sheet secured to said rods and rigid l In testimony whereof, I have signed my members, :1 forward extension of the frznne name to this: specification, in presenee of 5 of the fender proper and an auxiliary fen- 5 two subscribing Witnesses.

(ler eo1nprising rigid end member s nol a l GEORGE L IVE-315M133. flexible member conneeling the rigid 1nemhers and pivotally connected with said lVitnesse's: frame extensions to normally carry in a L. RVALLACE,

10 vertical position, the fender frame proper N. G. BUTLER. 

